The British Prime Minister will deliver a speech in an attempt to reverse the political crisis following the Labour Party's heavy defeat in local elections.

Keir Starmer will deliver a speech to attempt to reverse the political crisis following the Labour Party's heavy defeat in local elections (REUTERS). The British Prime Minister, Keir Starmer, will attempt this Monday to relaunch his government amid a growing rebellion within the Labour Party following the poor results in last week's local and regional elections, which have cast doubt on the continuity of his leadership. Starmer's office announced that the Prime Minister will acknowledge in a speech that "gradual changes are not enough" in the face of social unrest and will promise "a bigger response" in areas such as economic growth, relations with Europe, and energy policy. This attempt at political repositioning comes after a series of electoral defeats that have deepened the crisis of the ruling party less than two years after its overwhelming victory in the general elections. The internal situation worsened over the weekend after several Labour MPs publicly called for Starmer's departure. The former minister Catherine West announced that she will initiate a competition for the leadership if no member of the cabinet challenges the Prime Minister before Monday. This maneuver could trigger an internal dispute between moderate and left-wing factions of the party. According to Labour Party rules, any candidate needs the support of 81 MPs, equivalent to 20% of the parliamentary group, to formally trigger an internal election. However, criticism grew rapidly after the electoral defeat. The MP Josh Simons, a former ally of the Prime Minister, said that Starmer "lost the country." Another MP, Clive Betts, stated that "there must be a way to incorporate a new leader in a proper and constructive way in the coming months." Starmer's office announced that the Prime Minister will acknowledge in a speech that "gradual changes are not enough" in the face of social unrest and will promise "a bigger response" in areas such as economic growth, relations with Europe, and energy policy (REUTERS). The results were particularly harsh for the Labour Party in Wales, where the party lost control of the autonomous government for the first time in 27 years since the creation of the Welsh Parliament. Nationally, the Labour Party lost nearly 1,500 council seats, while the anti-immigration party Reform UK increased its representation from less than 100 to more than 1,400 positions under the leadership of Nigel Farage. In Scotland, the leader of the Scottish National Party, John Swinney, called for a new independence referendum to protect the nation from a potential government of Reform UK. The political crisis is hitting Starmer at a delicate time for his administration. Since coming to power, the Prime Minister has faced criticism for several policy U-turns and has been embroiled in a controversy related to the appointment and subsequent dismissal of Peter Mandelson as the British ambassador to Washington, after revelations about the diplomat's ties to the convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein. The government is also facing questions about the lack of economic growth while much of the population continues to be affected by the cost-of-living crisis that has hit the United Kingdom for years. Despite this, Starmer received support from some sectors for his stance on US President Donald Trump regarding Iran. Before the local elections, the British press speculated about possible internal movements led by the former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner or the Minister of Health Wes Streeting. However, neither of them has unanimous support within the party, and both would need to reach the high threshold of parliamentary nominations to launch a candidacy. Before the local elections, the British press speculated about possible internal movements led by the former Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner (REUTERS). Rayner avoided directly calling for the Prime Minister's resignation, although she acknowledged that the current strategy "is not working and needs to change." In a message posted on X, she wrote: "This may be our last chance... The Prime Minister must now rise to the occasion and present the change that our country needs." Another name mentioned as a possible successor is the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, although he is currently unable to compete because he does not hold a seat in Parliament. The lack of a clear replacement has fueled speculation about a possible consensus candidacy around the Minister of Defence, John Healey, or the Minister of the Armed Forces, Al Carns. Nevertheless, the absence of an obvious successor could allow Starmer to remain in office. Within the party, there is also resistance to initiating another leadership change after the instability experienced by the Conservatives in 2022, when the United Kingdom had three Prime Ministers in just four months. Starmer himself reiterated over the weekend that he does not intend to leave power. When asked whether he will lead the Labour Party in the next general elections, scheduled for no later than 2029, he replied: "Yes, I will." "I have always said that this is a decade of national renewal," added the British Prime Minister. (With information from AFP)